City seeks to lift federal oversight of LAPD

For years, the Los Angeles Police Department has been looking to get out from under the federal government’s heavy oversight of department practices. On Monday, police brass were told they would have to wait at least a few more weeks.

Attorneys for the city of Los Angeles and the U.S. Department of Justice jointly submitted a proposal to U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess, asking that the LAPD be freed from the agreement it was forced to sign by the Justice Department nearly nine years ago on the heels of the Rampart corruption scandal.

In the so-called consent decree, which Feess has overseen, the LAPD promised to implement a sweeping set of reforms and gave federal monitors access to gauge its progress. With the majority of the roughly 200 reforms in place and police leaders eager to move beyond the stigma of federal oversight, city and U.S. attorneys had asked that the consent decree be terminated in favor of a “transition agreement.”

Under the terms of the new proposal, the civilian panel that oversees the LAPD would assume responsibility from federal monitors for making sure the LAPD follows through on the remaining changes. Among the outstanding issues is the department’s ongoing effort to strengthen its stance against racial profiling by officers.

In a lengthy morning hearing, Feess acknowledged that the LAPD had come a long way, but refused to go along with the plan. He expressed doubt about the idea of doing away with the current agreement and putting in place another that, he said, does not address several important issues.

The proposal, he said, left his authority over the department vague and did not make clear whether concerned outside groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, would continue to have a seat at the table.

When asked by Feess for his comments, federal monitor Michael Cherkasky said he believed the push to end the decree stems from the negative “symbolic nature” of the agreement. The idea of continuing the consent decree, he said, has pushed the LAPD to a “psychological breaking point.”

The idea seemed to have little sway with Feess, who said: “I don’t know there is anything anyone can say about that.”

Police Chief William J. Bratton in recent months has made no secret of his desire to be done with the decree, saying the continued oversight hurts officers' morale. After the hearing, Bratton reiterated the idea, saying: “The psychological impact cannot be underestimated. It is time to move on.”

-- Joel Rubin

Comments

[Michael Devereaux]

Judge Fees is a moron. His cow-towing to teh ACLU and holding teh city hostage to appease his big ego is teh reason why federal judges SHOULD NOT have a life appointment or unfettered power. All the citizens and taxpayers of this city will suffer because of his lust for power and ego. It does not serve the people of LA one bit!! This city has been taken over and held hostage by the far leftr, and we need to liberate it.

[James Creely]

Regarding the recent arrest of of the the PD's own, Detective Lazarus- which uncovers decades of insufficient correct action from the top down this is not the time for LAPD to whine about 'oversight'.

[Tony]

It would be about time. Then, perhaps our LAPD will be able to crush the violence that transpires during 'victory celebrations' instead of abandoning their cars for the gangsters to overturn and burn, along with the other fires they set, and businesses they loot.

[JMar]

I say keep the federal oversight, you know the LAPD will never follow protocol. They never have and they never will, not without oversight anyhow. Watch how quickly the LAPD revert back to their old ways if the oversight is wavered. And you know Villariagosa doesn't give a d@mn.

[David Faubion]

Expand the Consent Decree to all of society and our economic system. Poverty and unemployment is highest for youth of color. Economic disparity is widest between youth of color and whites. Reform and strengthen opportunity for poor youth in education, renew Affirmative Action, fix our dysfunctional, corrupt economic system. When the easiest “legit” jobs for youth to get are killing people on foreign soil, and prison labor—something is wrong. Extend the Decree from the police to policy makers, bureaucrats, and bankers. We must hold our corrupt, criminal economic system and its henchmen accountable if we want to stop the cycle of gang and police violence. The cruel injustice of an Apartheid system is sure to bring violence, which shows us that something is wrong.